Final Report * Election Assembly * GSB Minutes & GSB Financials
Working Together –Increasing Trust the Final Report of the 75th General Service Conference is published and available online at aa.org The hard copies should be at our Election Assembly October 25th , after they arrive on my doorstep.
There is a weekly Final Conference Review that began on Sunday September 21st, at 7pm EST, and the first committee to be presented was Archives. The flyer with the zoom link to this meeting is shown below:
DCM/ALT DCM ROUND TABLE SHARING SESSIONS:
A huge thank you to our Area Chairperson Alex for kicking off the first DCM Round table Sharing Session on Thursday September 25th at 7pm with a fantastic presentation on Elections and the Third Legacy Procedure. At each session topics that DCMs suggest topics to have presented are discussed, and time is set aside to share on any concerns DCMs wish to discuss.
See the flyer below and on the nhaa.net events calendar.
Our presenter for the October session is the current delegate for Southern New Jersey, Wendy M. who was the organizer for the online NERAASA last year. Don’t miss out hearing Wendy present on:
Inspiring Group Participation While Rebuilding Your District.
Come Join Us at the October Election Assembly
Every two years Area 43 elects the new panel of officers: Delegate, Alternate Delegate, Chairperson, Alternate Chairperson. Registrar, Treasurer and Secretary. They will take on their new positions beginning January first, 2026, with the current panel of officers willing to answer any questions they might have, however happy to step aside as the spirit of rotation is key to AA’s future. We will be joined by our Northeast Regional Trustee Ken T. and our Past Northeast Regional Trustee Francis G.
Location: 136 Pillsbury Road Londonderry, NH; Orchard Christian Fellowship
Thank you to District 9 for Hosting the assembly.
Please share the Election Assembly Flyer with your Districts and Group Members!
An Urgent Message from our Grapevine Publisher Chis C.:
Dear Friends in the AA Fellowship:
Grapevine and La Viña need your help — now more than ever.
For over eight decades AA Grapevine and La Viña, AA’s magazines written by us, for us,
convey shared experience, strength, and hope from members across the world. Now,
beyond the magazines we carry the AA message in many new forms:
• Apps available worldwide in English and Spanish
• A podcast with more than 1.2 million downloads and 24,000 listens per month
• An Instagram community of 15,000 followers
• A YouTube channel with over 16,000 subscribers and 267,000 views
• ASL Videos for the Deaf on our YouTube Channel
• Over 40 books of member stories and writings
• Free content for the incarcerated on prison tablets
• Free print subscriptions for alcoholics in prisons, hospitals and institutions
Grapevine provides the podcast, YouTube channel, Instagram and the prison tablet content
free of charge to help alcoholics. Therein lies the challenge: Grapevine’s only source of
income is from subscriptions and the sale of books. The magazines do not accept
individual or group contributions.
Folks often ask how they can support Grapevine. Today, our financial situation is very
difficult. With your increased support, a thriving Grapevine and La Viña will continue
providing these vital services to alcoholics everywhere. We will also persist in adapting new
technologies to carry the AA message.
Please follow the links below:
www.aagrapevine.org/subscriptions
www.aagrapevine.org/books
www.aagrapevine.org/carry-the-message
A. A. Grapevine, Inc. Report to General Service Board -723 active app subscribers added July 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025
-Podcast: 1,208,606 downloads
– Instagram: Grapevine has 14,821 followers, La Viña
-YouTube: 390 videos
-Retrofit: All GSO and Grapevine employees will work remotely beginning August 11th.
-Expense reduction: Fewer promotional mailings, delaying reprints for books with less demand, rent will be reduced starting September 15, 2025.
-Draw from reserve fund: The Grapevine Finance and Budget Committee recommended that the Grapevine Board request a draw for the GSB reserve fund of $350,000. Both book sales and subscriptions are down from budget re-forecast and cash flow forecast show that negative cash balances would begin in August and continue for the remainder of the year.
-Australia’s GSO inquired about placing AAWS and Grapevine literature on tablets for use in the prison system.
Update regarding the 2025 IC Souvenir book: The International Convention Souvenir Book Amends letter was previously sent out, however I have copied and attached it again to this Delegate Report. It will also be sent to anyone else who inquires about the error that the wrong flag was put in the book. Specifically in Part Thirteen, A.A., Country by Country, on page 329, the name “Jerusalem” appears with its corresponding flag. The correct country listing should have been “Israel” along with its flag. The remaining inventory of the books will be sold and include the letter as an erratum with direction to the corrected replacement page. The General manager and General Service Board chair met with the Israel AA Central Office representatives to make a direct amends. This info and the details included in the amends letter were shared with their board representatives. They accepted the amends, expressed gratitude for our communications and satisfaction with the actions that were taken.
Updates from the Third Quarterly General Service Board
Corrections: A discussion is ongoing concerning digital forms of communication as an avenue for interaction with individuals without access to traditional means of communication.
Literature: This committee now has five working groups including: 5th Edition Big Book; progress on pamphlets “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship” and “Indigenous People in A.A.” as well as the Twelve Concepts video animation and appointment of two ACMs (Appointed Committee Members) in reference to a pamphlet development for Asian and Asian American Alcoholic, also the Transgender Alcoholic pamphlet. Please note that the Indigenous People pamphlet is already in our Service Office!
Public Information:
The Public Information Committee recommended that the three videos produced by the GSB of AA Australia, (one of which was presented during my delegate report back to Area 43 fellowship) be adapted by AAWS for use on media platforms in the US and Canada.
-YouTube Shorts: the PSAs be added with shorter versions
-AAWS Meeting Guide App: Changes to Daily Reflections are reflected on the app and wants to ensure that all conference approved literature is updated on the app.
-GSOs AA website: a concern that chat functionality should be covered by local AA services
-Membership Survey: Two subcommittees will be required, for a 2026 Membership Survey.
-The committee is discussing revisions to the pamphlet “Understanding Anonymity” now addressing social media.
Cooperation with the Professional Community:
-The staff secretary is looking for ways to reach out directly to professionals who deal with unhoused alcoholics.
-The committee requested GSO improve the focus of the 2026 CPC exhibit schedule of professional events, including class A trustees where their experience with their respective professions would be most useful.
-Pamphlet P-27 “AA in Treatment Settings” has been updated to read “provide or directly engage in detoxification services, nursing, hospitalization, medicine or any medical, psychiatric, psychological or therapeutic treatment”
Trustees Nominating Committee:
-The new ACM was chosen, work assisting the working group will begin on development of a draft pamphlet on the transgender alcoholic in A.A.
-The new ACM was chosen, and work will begin assisting the working group on development of a pamphlet on Asian and Asian-American alcoholic in A.A.
-There have been 4 subcommittees appointed: Addressing Grievances, Preparing for Future Vacancies, Nominating Procedure, Trustee Emeriti.
Finance and Budgetary Committee:
AAWS/GSB 2025 Budget Reforecast:
-The International Convention profit and loss is not expected to be finalized until September, estimated bottom line is close to breaking even.
-The retrofit of the General Service Office increased from $2,030,000 to $2,100.000.
-Grapevine rent payment reduced from $63,844 to $49,451 due to an earlier date for reducing square footage of use.
-General Service Conference Budget reduced by $55K based on actual savings in travel, meals and lodging.
-Technology Services budget increased by $93K primarily due to NetSuite (several functionalities)
-The Finance Committee recommended approval of the reforecast budget.
-The Reserve Fund as of June 30,2025 is a balance of $11.941 million
Grapevine 2025 Financial Report including La Viña:
-Subscriptions are lower than last year, but continued growth in digital and app. Gross margin on total subscriptions is over budget.
-Overall Gross Margin for Grapevine is projected to be $1,809,187. Expenses are now projected to be $56K higher than budget. This is a combination of website costs, salary, audit fees, fulfillment and office expenses.
-La Viña circulation of print copies has been doing well but the earnings per copy has been under budget, causing the 2025 subscription income to be under budget. This situation is under research. The La Viña subscription income was $161K, but the reforecast is reducing this to $141K.
Discussion of Reserve Fund Drawdown
-$2.1million Reserve Fund drawdown to support the GSO office retrofit, as well as an additional $350,000 requested by Grapevine for operations – a total poposed drawdown of $2.45million.
-Discussion concerning the purpose of the Reserve Fund
-Discussion concerning the necessity of the impact of the retrofit
-Discussion concerning the importance of self-support and ongoing contributions
-The Reserve Fund will be rebuilt over time as finances allow
The committee recommended to the GSB a Reserve Fund drawdown of up to $2,100.000 for the GSO retrofit and a drawdown of $350,000 for Grapevine operations.
-Reserve Fund is currently at $11,941.173, with 6.42 months of coverage, so after the drawdown this would leave the Reserve Fund balance at $9,491.173 with 5.1 months coverage of operating expenses.
-Self Support Packet (SKU-F-19) Accessibility: has been approved to be downloadable online soon, not just in print.
-General Service Office is creating QR codes to link directly to the contribution page.
International Conventions/Regional Forums Committee:
-There is a decrease in the estimated sign language budget interpretation at the two Regional
-Forums, due to adding AI interpretation Tool
February 20, 21, 22, 2026 NERAASA.COM for the website to the 2026 Northeast AA Service Assembly. You can view the full agenda for the weekend while on the website and register later after elections in October. I will be there all weekend and hope to see many of you there. I have always been able to learn a lot, as well as share a lot while at previous NERAASA.
All AA members are welcome to be part of the Delegate/Area Chair Mailchimp.
To be added to the group just email: delegate@nhaa.net
It has been a pleasure and an honor to be of service to Area 43
Sue W. Area 43 Panel 74 Delegate
